Dumping truck



Dec. 30, 1930.

R. J. BURROWS ET AL DUMPING TRUCK Filed June 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 30, 1930. R. .J. BURROWS ET AL 1,786,560

' DUMPING TRUCK Filed June 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Desk 3Q, 1939 AYES PATENT reins ROBERT J. BURROWS, OF BUCHANAN, AND HARLOW D. BURNSIDE, OF BATTLE CREEK,

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNGES T CLARK TRUCTBACTOR COMPANY, OF BUCHANAN, MICH- IGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN DUlVII-ING TRUCK Application filed June 9,

Our invention relates to industrial trucks of the general type shown and described in Letters Patent to Robert J. Burrows, No. 1,390,757, dated September 13, 1921, in which a load carrying bed is mounted at the front end of the frame over a pair of propelling wheels, the frame being supportedat the rear by a steering wheel or wheels of the caster type, and a motor by which the front wheels are driven, being mounted on the rear portion of the frame. In the truck of said patent the operators station is between the motor and the bed, his seat being placed over the hood that encloses the motor. Trucks of this 13 type are used principally in and about factory buildin s or warehouses, etc, and in many situations it is desirable that the bed be arranged so that it may be tilted about a transverse axis to dump its contents beyond so the forward end of the truck, and the object ofour invention is to provide a dumping truck of that character so constructed that it may be run up to the point at which the load is to be discharged and be dumped with very little effort on the part of the oporator, if not entirely automatically. With this end in view, it contemplates the provision of a bed which is so, pivoted on the frame of the vehicle that when loaded it dumps easily either because of overbalancing of the load, or by the sheer momentum of the load when the vehicle is stopped suddenly (a holding latch for the bed having been previously re leased), and when empty it automatically re- I turns, or is easily returned, to normal posi tion. The invention also contemplates the provislon of a particular construction of velucle frame havin downwardl slo ed I u b front end. By virtue of-this frame construction, the bed can be plvotally supported with its center of gravity located substantially d1- rectly, above the driving axle, for transmitting maximum traction pressure to the drive l l"' 't l t thbd wheels, anc 11cm bhls pivo cen er e e can be inclined down to a relatively acute 1926. Serial No. 114,670.

dumping angle without interference with the frame, because of this downwardly sloped front end.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated a dumping truck of the character above described,

Figure 1 being a side elevation of the truck illustrating the normal position of the bed in fulllines and its dumping position in dotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the bed; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-8 of Fig. 2, looking up.

Referring to Fig. 1, the two side frame members of the truck are indicated at 5-5, these frame members being preferably of channel section. The front portion of the truck frame is supported on propelling wheels 6, having an axis or axle 7, and the rear portion of the truck is suppported on the dirigible caster wheel 8 having a pivoted resilient mounting in an upright bearing bracket 9 secured to the rear end of the frame. The power plant 11, supported at the rear end of the frame and enclosed under the hood 12, drives the propelling wheels 6 through any suitable construction of drive mechanism, designated 14 in its ventirety. The drivers seat 15 is supported over the en- I gine hood 12 and the controls, collectively indicated at 16, are disposed between the drivers seat and the dumping bed or body 17.

The front ends of the channel frame members Sa re bent diagon. lly downward, as in dicated at 18. Bracket arms 19 are riveted to these downwardly inclined ends 18 and have eyes 21 at their ends for making pivotal concjion with the front or outer ends of the 3:. leaf springs 22. The rear or inner ends of such leaf springs have connection through the conventional shackle links 23 and brackets 24 to the frame of the vehicle, these leaf springs being under-slung in their attach- 90 ment to the axle of the wheels 6. A cross bar 25, preferably of angle iron, extends across the sloping on d portions 18 of the frame members and is firmly secured thereto for a purposc which will be hereinafter explained. lilising f om the side members adjacent to and pr lx rably a short distance back of the inclined ends, are standards :26 which are suitably braced to said side frame members by braces 27, said standards being provided at their upper ends with bearings 28, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which. is mounted a transverse shaft 29. Said shaft forms a transverse pivot for the dumping bed or body 17, which is mounted on said shaft at a point located slightly back of the longitudinal center, or center of gravity of the bed, substantially as indicated. By this arrangement when the bed is tilted to the position shown in dotted lines, its bottom will aline substantially with the upper surfaces of the inclined front end portions 18 of the frame members 5. As hereinafter described, in detail, by inclining the front end portions of the side men'ibers in this manner and mounting the bed to pivot about a transverse axis disposed back of its longitudinal center, while the load will be carried substantially in the vertical axial. plane of the driving Wheels 6, the center of gravity of the loaded bed will lie somewhat forward of its transverse axis, so that it may be dumped with very little effort, or in some cases, entirely automatically, either by the over-balance of the load alone, or by the inertia of the load, if the vehicle be stopped suddenly. The arrangement shown also pro vides for dumping the load very close to the front end of the truck.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the bed comprises a bottom frame composed of longitudinally extend ing side members 32 connected by cross members 33, the latter being reinforced by a longitudinal member 3a. The

shaft 29 extends through the side members 3:2, which are provided at the outside with hearing plates therefor.

To facilitate righting it, at its rear end the bed 17 is provided with a conuterbalance comprising a horizontal plate 36, extending transversely of the box adjacent to its rear end and secured to the bottom thereof by rivets 37 or in any other suitable way, said counterbalance also comprising a vertically disposed plate 38 which depends from the rear marginal portion of the plate 3(3 and is braced therewith by end flanges 39. The end portions of the vertical plate 38 are adapted to engage the side bars 5 of the truck frame and are preferably notched, as shown at 41, so that that portion of the plate 38 between the notches 41 may extend down between the frame members 5. The plate 38 therefore serves as a standard to support the rear-portion of the bed or box on the truck frame when said bed is in its normal position.

The weight of the counterbalance is sufficient to overcome the preponderating weight of that portion of the empty bed that lies in advance of its transverse axis, and therefore, aft-er the load has been dumped, said counlci balance aids in righting the bed.

Adjacent toeach end the plate 38 is provided with a pair of lugs 42, which carry a horizontal pin l3 which serves as a keeper for the latch ell. Two of such latches are provided, one for each pin 43, said latches being carried by a rock shaft d5, mounted in bearings (S secured to the side members 5, as best shown in Fig. 1. Said rock shaft has secured thereto a foot lever 47 by which it may be roched to move the latches 44 out of engagement with their respective pins .13, and a spring i8 is provided which is connected at one end with the truck frame and at the other end with an arm 49 carried by the rock shaft il Said spring is so arranged that it tends to move the latches 44 into engagement with the pins il-3. so tl at after said latches have been morcd out of o 'ierative position by downward movement of the treadle or lever ll". the spring tends to return them in such position. it stop of any suitable character may be provided to prevent the latches l l.- fromswinging forward beyond an approximately vertical position. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that when the latches 4- are in engagement with the pins 4-3 the bed will be held in its horizontal or operative position, and that by depressing the foot lever 4:7 to move said latches out of engage ment with the pins 4&3, the bed may be tilted in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

At the front end of the bed 17 is an end, gate 51, which at its upper margin is pivotally connected with the bed by a pivot rod 52, so that the lower margin of the/end gale may swing toward and from the bottom of the bed. Said gate is provided at its lower inargin with a lip engaging a similar lip 5 on the bed, and both having notches near their opposite ends at the bottom of which notches are latch plates adapted to be end by latches carried by a rock snaft 57 1. ads transversely of the bed at its illl and is mounted in the side bars 13?. thereof. as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Said sha l. ya'evided with a downwardly cidending arm lid, with which is connected one end of a spring 59. the i giosiic end of which is coir nocted with the lip 5?)", so that the li.l! tends to move the latches 56 upward into ongagement with the latch plates and hold them in such position. Obviously, when the latches 56 are in engagement with the latch the end gate prevented from 'n but by moving the latches out of it witn the end gate. it a to from the bottom of the b L. to contents to be discharged. Conuccted with the shaft 5'? and extending dowu wardly and rearwardly therefrom, is a lever he weight of which lever normally aids i" g in moving the latches to their opt 'ative position. Said lever is approxh match Z-shaped as shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with two substantially straight portions a and i), and an intermediate curved portion a. The she" of said lever is such that when the bed is tilted, the straight por tion 5 first strikes the cross bar 25 on the truck frame is deflected by it to rock the shaft 57 in a counterclockwise direction, h'reby moving the latches 56 out of opera- --ive position. The curved portion 0 and the straight portion a, by their engagement with he cross bar 25, serve to hold the latches out of operative position during the dumping operation, and also during the restoring operation until the bed approaches its normal positio when said lever will move out of enagemeiit with the cross bar 25 and in conjunction with the spring 59 will operate to restore the latches to their locking position. lt will be understood that when the bed is re urned to its normal position, the end gate will swing backto its closed position and Will be automatically engaged and locked shutby said latches. About the same time the latches it will engage the pins 43 at the rear end of the bed and will lock the bed in its load carrying position. To facilitate the engagement of the latches e l with the pins 43, the lower marginal portion of the plate 38 is beveled opposite said pins, as indicated at 62 in 3, so that the rounded upper ends of the latches it will be engaged by these beveled surfaces when the bed is being righted and will be swung outward far enough to enable the pins to pass down into engagement therewith.

As previously described, the pivotal axis of the bed 17 is located slightly back of the transverse center line of the bed. Notwithstanding such location of the pivot 29, which throws the center of gravity of the bed proper forward of its transverse axis, because of he counterweight 36, the bed will tend to return to its normal position on the truck frame after having been emptied. l Vhen, however, the bed is loaded, its center of gravity shifted by the load to a point in advance of its transverse axis, and consequently the overbalancing weight of the load in the front portion of the bed will usually uffice to dump it when the latches n are eleased. The dumpin may, however, be ssisted either manually, or by running the rack up to the dumping point and then stopping it suddenly, so that the inertia of the load will help to revolve the bed to dumping position. After the load has been dumped, the preponderating weight of the counterbalance 36 will be approximately sufficient to swing the bed back to normal position, so that little if any efiort on the part'of the operator is required to start the backing away from the point of dumping and then starting forward rather suddenly, the inertia of this forward start operating to swing the bed back to its normal position.

By virtue of the downwardly extending ends 18 of the frame members 5, the bed is permitted to swing down to a relatively sharp dumping angle as illustrated in dotted lines, even with the bed pivoted to dispose its center of gravity and the center of gravity of the load substantially in the vertical axial plane of the driving wheels 6. This location of the pivotal axis of the bed adjacent the vertical axial plane of the driving wheelsmade possible by the downwardly inclined end portions 18-also has the advantage of reducing the overall length of the vehicle, which is of great importance as these vehicles must often operate in a comparatively cramped space.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a dump truck of the class described, a frame-work including side members, bosses attached to said side members, and projecting upward therefrom, a dumping bed pivotally mounted on said bosses, a counterweight attached to said bed, said weight being recessed to fit between and on said side members to thereby support one end of said bed on said frame, latch pins attached to said counterweight, and a latch attached to said frame and engaging said pins to hold the bed and counterweight on said frame.

2. In a dump truck of the class described, a frame-work including side members, a dumping bed attached to said frame and pivoted about a transverse axis disposed above said frame, a counterweight attached to the under side of said bed at one end thereof, said weight resting on said side members to support one end of said bed thereon and to prevent movement of that end longitudinally of said axis, latch pins attached to said counterweight and a latch pivoted on said frame and engaging said pins to hold the counterweight and bed thereon.

3. In a dump truck of the class decribed, a frame work including side members, bosses attached to and projecting upward from said side members, a dumping bed including side members, a shaft projecting through bed members and bosses to support the bed on the frame with its side members parallel to the frame members and to pivot it about an axis transverse of the frame, said bosses fitting between the bed side members to resist movement of the bed longitudinally of said axis a counterweight attached to the under side of said bed between its side members, said Weight being recessed to fit between and on said frame side members to thereby sup port one end of said bed on said frame and to prevent movement of the bed longitudinally of said axis, latch pins attached to said counterweight, and a latch attached to said frame and engaging said pins to hold the bed and counterweight on the frame.

ROBERT J. BURROVS. HARLOXV D. BURNSIDE. 

